Oxygen membrane electrode used as a toxicity biosensor

Abstract

Three biosensor configurations that included a dissolved oxygen electrode and yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were evaluated as a means to assess the environmental effects of toxic chemicals. The configurations were: closed suspension—assay medium closed to air and cells suspended in the medium; open suspension—assay medium open to air and cells suspended in medium; and biofilm electrode (BFE)—assay medium open to air but cells immobilized on the surface of the electrode. The BFE was the most advantageous configuration based on assay times and detection limits.

A yeast-based cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assay for environmental monitoring using novel portable instrumentation

“…developed a membrane covered oxygen electrode coupled with immobilised yeast to screen for toxic chemicals based on changes in respiratory activity. 29 Significant disadvantages of this approach were the need to grow the cultures to specific densities and in a particular growth phase, and complicated interpretation of the results. Campanella et al also immobilised yeast cells on an electrode to form a toxicity sensor.…”

Development of a flow-through detector for monitoring genotoxic compounds by quantifying the expression of green fluorescent protein in genetically modified yeast cells

“…Other toxicity sensors have been developed based on yeast cells, but the majority only monitor cell viability, and hence general cytotoxicity. This is commonly done by monitoring respiratory action, either oxygen uptake or carbon dioxide evolution, or pH changes, and mainly by electrochemical means [11][12][13][14]. Similarly, cytotoxicity sensors have been developed incorporating bacterial cells.…”